Re: [NTLK] Experience with NewtSync and a suggestion

On 8/31/06, Alex Santos <izabella.misiewiczsantos@neostrada.pl> wrote:
> > However, it is easy to envision problems if you use both.
> I'll have to agree with you there, absolutely, one day without
> syncing and it could be a problem. I would say that anyone who relies
> on their schedule would be conscious of the fact that they must sync.
> Nonetheless, it's a valid point you make.

Theoretically, but my experience has been that sometimes, like when
traveling, or moving around lot--especially if you are busy. You enter a new
appt. into your computer, get a phone call, run out, and now, your handheld
is out of sync, and doesn't have the latest meeting. The results could be
disastrous for a very busy person. This is why I do all my "computer"
scheduling on my handheld. All my initial scheduling is done on paper. ;-)
But I'm a bit odd in how I work.

> Hmm…As I was typing the previous point I had thought of how a daily
> iCal reminder could be of use but as I began to read your next point
> I became confused about what causes the alarms on your end.
>
> I appreciate that the alarms may in fact be normal but can I ask what
> triggers the alarms? Is it simply prompting you of a successful sync?
> I would love to help you figure out the annoyance you are
> experiencing but I think I would have to get clarification on what
> the alarms signify. Let me know if you can.

I have both my Palm and Newton to automatically add alarms to new
meetings/appointments. The default is 90 minutes, but I can change it.
Therefore, when I sync with my desktop, those alarms are carried over to the
desktop (only with the Palm). So, my alarm goes off, and goes off twice!
Yesterday, I was on the phone when my Palm went off. I was scrambling to
shut that off when iCal popped up, and then started speaking! All while I
was trying to juggle the phone. :-)

BTW, that meeting was with Bob Redknap, a fellow NTLKer who is in Krakow
right now! We had a blast, although little Newton-talking this time. I made
a mistake this weekend, and ran my Newton's battery down and forgot to
charge it. :-( But anyway, we had fun. Not directly related except that the
alarm made for a few difficult moments while on the phone. ;-) But this is
one reason why I wish I could turn off alarms on iCal.

Back to the topic at hand…I absolutely agree that it is countless
> times simpler to gesture a PDA from one's table top and input some
> entries but the larger desktop screens certainly can yield better
> visualization of a week's schedule than the Newton can. The screen
> size is the Newton's strength but it seems clear that a larger screen
> can lend a hand when it comes to visualizing multiple schedules,
> where they may overlap, where they don't etc. and it just makes
> determining what is coming ahead in visual terms potentially simpler.

Maybe, but I've used the Newton for ages, and know how to leverage its
strengths. I use Action Names and its overview, as well as the built-in
overview. I have also learned to love the multi-day view in the Newton. Try
this, in Dates, on day view, tap and drag down a particular day of the week.
You will select all of that day (say Monday) and see what's going on every
monday in a month! Cool, eh? You can also drag across, and see a couple
days, or even seven. In overview, you see everything in a scrolling
view--but only dates that have events or meetings. I love that view! (AN's
is similar, but you select the start and end dates.)

My Palm is even a bit better. I use KSDatebook (freeware) and it has
interesting day, week, multiday and month views. But what I like is the tiny
text option, which gives me as much on the screen as iCal does, and in
multi-day view, I can drag and drop across days and times, similar to the
Newton's ability. Now, if only you could drag a meeting to the edge
(clipboard) and drop it in a completely different date, it would be about as
good as the Newton Datebook. IMO, just about the best datebook out there is
the Newton's built-in. Only TimeTrax is better at weekly and monthy
overviews, and this, IMO, is better than iCal or Now. (I've used Now almost
as long as I've used the Newton) and I prefer the Newton--but again, that
may be familiarity as much as anything. :-)

Perhaps you may disagree, actaully I wouldn't expect you to agree as
> you are obviously comfortable with how you are taking care of you
> scheduling issues - your PDA.

;-) Since 1995!

> Ideally (as in my summary) syncing would travel mostly towards iCal,
> with occasional trickle back.

I guess it's the occasional trickle back where my problems would arise. I do
like having the moving-up to desktop that the Palm provides--with the caveat
of alarms, but honestly, I seldom ever look in iCal. I use the MailTags
bundle in Mail, (sort of) and every time I launch Mail, it launches iCal,
which I usually force-quit before it truly launches. I never look at iCal...
OK, I take that back, I do sync it to my .Mac servers, and therefore have a
solid, accessible backup of my Palm data on the web, but that's about it!

So after all, I guess I would have to agree with how you do things.

We always do! ;-)

-- 
-Jon Glass
Krakow, Poland
<jonglass@usa.net>
There is no such thing as public opinion. There is only published opinion.
--Winston Churchill
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